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CrashStats

West Dorset road accidents in 2020: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 159 road traffic collisions in West Dorset in 2020, and 226 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 4 were fatal and 34 were serious.

Collisions were down 24% on 2019 (209), and casualties fell from 304.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 15,774 collisions in West Dorset.

District council until April 2019, now part of Dorset. Figures follow the old district boundary.

Collisions in 2020
159
Down 24% on 2019
Casualties in 2020
226
Down 26% on 2019
Fatal collisions
4
2.5% of collisions
Serious collisions
34
21% of collisions

Crash severity in West Dorset in 2020

2.5% of collisions in West Dorset in 2020 were fatal and 21% serious, against 2.5% and 22% in West Dorset from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal42.5%
  • Serious3421%
  • Slight12176%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal52.2%
  • Serious4319%
  • Slight17879%

West Dorset road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in West Dorset, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 467 in 1998. 2020 is highlighted, with 159, down 24% on 2019.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2020: 159
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025207297
2024248331
2023209285
2022217316
2021222298
2020159226
2019209304
2018189265
2017225328
2016248382
2015277409
2014262384
2013249356
2012283408
2011289436
2010267401
2009317455
2008308461
2007342502
2006372581
2005346522
2004388602
2003359554
2002426663
2001441656
2000438710
1999401633
1998467699
1997440662
1996425671
1995355611
1994431686
1993392626
1992405662
1991391620
1990389616
1989386632
1988393584
1987400611
1986363538
1985358530
1984411621
1983341490
1982382573
1981367569
1980390540
1979390566

When and where crashes happen in West Dorset in 2020

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday29 (18%)
  • Tuesday18 (11%)
  • Wednesday21 (13%)
  • Thursday24 (15%)
  • Friday27 (17%)
  • Saturday18 (11%)
  • Sunday22 (14%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:594 (2.5%)
  • 03:00 to 05:594 (2.5%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5923 (14%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5928 (18%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5942 (26%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5932 (20%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5914 (8.8%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5912 (7.5%)

Collisions by month

  • January20 (13%)
  • February18 (11%)
  • March14 (8.8%)
  • April6 (3.8%)
  • May3 (1.9%)
  • June10 (6.3%)
  • July21 (13%)
  • August13 (8.2%)
  • September16 (10%)
  • October11 (6.9%)
  • November14 (8.8%)
  • December13 (8.2%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight119 (75%)
  • Dark, no street lighting26 (16%)
  • Dark, street lights lit13 (8.2%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit1 (0.6%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds126 (79%)
  • Raining, no high winds12 (7.5%)
  • Fine with high winds6 (3.8%)
  • Raining with high winds6 (3.8%)
  • Fog or mist5 (3.1%)
  • Snowing with high winds1 (0.6%)
  • Other3 (1.9%)

Road surface

  • Dry103 (65%)
  • Wet or damp50 (31%)
  • Frost or ice6 (3.8%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph1 (0.6%)
  • 30 mph42 (26%)
  • 40 mph12 (7.5%)
  • 50 mph18 (11%)
  • 60 mph80 (50%)
  • 70 mph6 (3.8%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway144 (91%)
  • Dual carriageway8 (5%)
  • Roundabout6 (3.8%)
  • One way street or slip road1 (0.6%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in West Dorset in 2020

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant155 (69%)
  • Cyclist21 (9.3%)
  • Motorcyclist19 (8.4%)
  • Pedestrian17 (7.5%)
  • Van occupant10 (4.4%)
  • Agricultural vehicle occupant1 (0.4%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)1 (0.4%)
  • Minibus occupant1 (0.4%)
  • Mobility scooter rider1 (0.4%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 52 (0.9%)
  • 6 to 106 (2.7%)
  • 11 to 155 (2.2%)
  • 16 to 2027 (12%)
  • 21 to 2511 (4.9%)
  • 26 to 3534 (15%)
  • 36 to 4534 (15%)
  • 46 to 5538 (17%)
  • 56 to 6528 (12%)
  • 66 to 7526 (12%)
  • Over 7515 (6.6%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider161 (71%)
  • Passenger48 (21%)
  • Pedestrian17 (7.5%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car215 (70%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes32 (10%)
  • Pedal cycle21 (6.9%)
  • Motorcycle20 (6.5%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes8 (2.6%)
  • Agricultural vehicle5 (1.6%)
  • Other vehicle2 (0.7%)
  • Minibus1 (0.3%)
  • Mobility scooter1 (0.3%)
  • Taxi or private hire car1 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for West Dorset in 2020

Map of the last 24 crashes of 2020 and the 10 busiest accident hotspots in West Dorset

Use the arrow keys to move the map and the plus and minus keys to zoom.

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

Accident hotspots (10)

Accident hotspots in West Dorset in 2020

Dorchester East, Dorset, DT1 1PF area and Winterborne & Broadmayne, Dorset, DT2 9DL area were among the busiest accident hotspots in West Dorset in 2020, with 6 collisions each.

Roads in West Dorset with the most crashes in 2020

The A35 had the most collisions in West Dorset in 2020: 32, including 3 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in West Dorset, 2020
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA35324603
2ndA354131412
3rdB3157132806
4thA37121903
5thA305810
6thA3525902
7thB31505601
8thA3564401
9thB31624501
10thA30523600
11thA3533502
12thB31453400
13thB31473300
14thB31563301
15thB33903301
16thB31432200
17thA30301100
18thA30661400
19thB31421100
20thB31631101

Towns in West Dorset: crashes in 2020

Dorchester, Dorset had the most collisions of any town in West Dorset in 2020: 14.

Postcode districts in West Dorset: crashes in 2020

DT2 had the most collisions of any postcode district in West Dorset in 2020: 62.

Dorset and its former districts in 2020

Dorset recorded 563 collisions in 2020, and 28% of them were in the old West Dorset district.

Other former districts in Dorset

Latest crashes in West Dorset in 2020

Of the last 24 crashes in West Dorset in 2020, none were fatal and 7 were serious. The last was on 31 December 2020.

Severity

West Dorset road accidents in other years